Marine-torpedo shield.



C. LA MURA.

MARINE TORPEDO SHIELD. APPLICATION FILED lULY 11,1911.

1,243,956. Patented 00112.3,1911.

I III! mmvron Cale-Z10 L a Mum n rap spawns Parana op n on CATELLO LA, Mona, or BROOKLYN, New YORK.

v 'MARINE-TORPEDO. SHIELD.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 23, 1917,

'1 Application filedJuly 11, 1917. SeIiaINo. 179,799.

The invention relates to ustableshields.

suitably connected with the exterior surface of thejhull of floating vessels, said shields I i a being adapted to work in conjunction with resilient devices, all of which will be fully described hereinafter.

It is well known that at the present time.

many vessels have been destroyed and many human lives lost by means of the torpedo fired upon the hulls of vessels by submarine crafts, which torpedo by reason of its force, speed and sudden impact against the hull beneath the water line is caused to penetrate the wall of the hull and explode thereby destroying the vessel and many of the per-w sons on board.

' The object of this invention is to provide means for the protection of the bulls of ves-' sels, whereby it will cause the torpedo to be deflected downward before it can meet with a solid impact, thereby forcing said torpedo out of its original path of destruction. It will be obvious that the inventionherein disclosed will accomplish complete protection against marine torpedoes when fired from a submarine vessel beneath or above the water line.

The invention consists of one or more adjustable shields adapted to be secured to the sides of a floating vessel in a manner that will enable it to resist the force of a destructive missile or torpedo when intended to impinge against the surface of the hull of the vessel. It also embodies a resilient device working in conjunction with the adj ustable shield which will receive the pressure produced by the impact of the torpedo on an inclined surface and change its path of travel downward in a complex curve thereby frustrating any intended action upon the vessel.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a vessel having a carrying capacity of three thousand tons and in which is shown the inclined torpedo shields in working position.

Fig. 2 represents an enlarged transverse Uection taken on the line wm of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents aplan view of the spring holders showing a position of the spring adapted to travel; in the guideway Which is shown in section.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the guideway and spring-carrying device working in conjunction therewith, the spring being omitted.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the guideway, 7

showing a position in Whichthe spring hold-er has the lanyard, or rope connected therewith-the spring. being omitted.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings, in which the hull a is mounted with one, or more adjustable shields b. The shieldsare provided with the perforated lugs 0 adapted to be received by the hired rod d which is securedto the hull a by elongatedhangers 6. Each of the adjustable shields?) are connected with a lanyard or rope f, the latter of which is connected with a windlass'or block and tackle, but in this instance it is shown connected with. a

Windlass g which when operated will regulate the angle of the adjustable shield b which is held in a' predetermined position by the spring 71 the latter being secured to a slidable block 71 and properly secured to the lanyard or rope 7a and operated by an ordinary block and tackle arranged in any location desired. The block and tackle is not shown .as it is well known to those skilled in the art.

In Fig. 2 the adjustable shield is shown in its operative position ready to receive and arrest the impact of the missile or torpedo which may be thrust against it. The vertical dotted line '25 represents the shields Z) brought up andagainst the hull a of the vessel when in the out-of-service position, 2'. 6. when not anticipating a submarine attack. In this figure there is also shown the position of the spring and carrier or holder when in normal condition. It will be obvious that the spring holding block or device is provided with the lugs Z which engage with the groove m of the guide n.

Mode of operation.

Whenever the master mariner shall have reached the zone of danger he will unwind the Windlass 9 until he shall have allowed the shields b to assume the angle desired,

missile or torpedo discharged from a submarine should strike the shield Z) on a line indicated by the arrow V below the water line its impinging impact will be arrested by the shield Z) which is backed by the resilient device, spring 72,, thereby causing it to change its course downward and to follow a path in a complex curve, thus frustrating its destructive mission.

It is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction herein shown, as the same may be modified in many particulars without departing from the spirit of my invention. I

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is r 1. Vessel protecting apparatus of the class described, embodying a shield, means for hinging the same at its lower edge to the GXtGTlOPWtLll of a ship below the water level, a spring element between the inner face oi the shield and'the side of the vessel, adapted to press outwardly against the inner face of said shield and non rigid means for connecting the upper edge of said shield and the vessel and holding said shield against the interposed spring element which holding means will not interfere with the resilient action of the shield from outside pressure, substantially as shown and described.

2. In apparatus for protecting ships a Copies of this patent may be obtained for series of shields hinged near the bottom'of a ship, adapted to fall outward or be folded close to the side of the vessel, non rigid means for varying the position of the upper edge of said shields relatively to the vessels side, and means for exerting resilient pressure between the shield and side of the vessel, which latter means are adapted to be ading springs it, between said shields and the side of the vessel, said springs being secured to adjustable sliding blocks 2, together with means for adjusting said blocks and non rigid means for holding the shields against the spring, substantially as shown and described.

Signed at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York June A. D. 1917.

CATELLOLA MURA.

Witnesses ETTORE BARBINI, Louis ZARBARO.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

